Downgrading

Los planes de Microsoft con Windows Vista no se están cumpliendo.

Leo en una crónica de the register sobre el encuentro de este fin de semana de Microsoft con sus partners, que ya está floreciendo un negocio de reinstalar Windows XP en máquinas con Vista instalado (busca)

Literalmente:
On the client, Windows Vista, a clear gap continued between Microsoft's marketing and executive spiel and market realities. Never mind a chronic lack of hardware and application compatibility out of the gate for even mainstream products, Windows Vista is proving so unreliable and such a resource hog that system builders are mining a niche business in downgrading Windows Vista machines to Windows XP - despite Microsoft's attempts to make downgrades difficult.


Es una anécdota dentro del artículo porque lo más interesante, a mi juicio, es la referencia de Ballmer a que Microsoft va a apostar (forzadamente, eso sí) por el SaaS (inevitability of turning Microsoft into an online business) y las reticencias de sus partners al movimiento por la amenaza que supone para su negocio tradicional de venta de licencias.


Actualización. Microsoft ha sacado una nota de prensa de la que entresaco las siguientes líneas:

Microsoft’s software plus services model allows customers to have a choice in how software is delivered. Customers can choose the traditional method of purchasing and installing software on premise, or they can have software delivered, perhaps accompanied by value-added services, as a hosted service. However, it’s not a “one size fits all” approach, and it’s not either/or. It’s Microsoft’s unique value proposition that together with our partners we are able to offer our customers the advantages of both models. In fact, we will continue to have our traditional on-premise offering, we will have a set of hosted-by-Microsoft offerings, and we’ll have hosted-by-partner offerings. It’s all about choices for customers.

Repito por si a alguien se le escapa: It’s all about choices for customers